ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

For the first time in Barrel-Aged December history, we have a whole show of gin barrel-aged beers - and we'll tell you why that's something of a rarity. With an all-star lineup of breweries, nothing here is a letdown - but there are still plenty of flavor surprises to be had. Also, we're drawing up some jukebox strategies given unforeseen circumstances; we're ready to bring back the horse blanket; and we're letting the gin make us more poetic. And then there's the introduction of GinBot 3000, the worst character we've ever created.

Beers Reviewed

Afterthought Brewing - Bière de Pieces #50 (Blend of saisons aged in neutral oak and gin barrels)

is/was brewing - Tree Tipper Aged in Gin Barrels [2024] (Saison w/ spruce tips & honey aged in gin barrels)

Third Space Brewing - Gin Barrel-Aged Cranberry Gose

Werk Force Brewing Company - Gin Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Vultures (Saison aged in gin barrels)

Supermoon Beer Company - Gin Barrel Sensitive King (Belgian-style Tripel aged in gin barrels)

We're hot on the case of the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers 2025's best medal recipients (that we have access to), and we'll solve the mystery of whether or not the gold medal winner in this bunch will actually top our rankings. For this year's roundup of decorated beers, we run the Specialty/Experimental category and throw in a bonus beefy adjunct stout for fun. But also, we're wondering what we can learn from the Lyric Opera Detectives to become Dicks at FoBAB; we run through all sorts of FoBAB By-The-Numbers breakdowns from this year' results; we recap some Fantasy FoBAB results; and we're angling hard for our chance to judge certain FoBAB categories next year.

Beers Reviewed

Lakefront Brewery - Brandy Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Imperial Ale [Bronze in Specialty/Expermental]

Cruz Blanca Brewery - La Dama Catrina (Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels w/ Mexican cocoa, ancho chiles, Mexican vanilla, and canela) [Silver in Specialty/Experimenta]

Black Horizon Brewing - From Earth to You (Gin barrel-aged Mexican lager w/ hibiscus, rosehips, and orange peel) [Gold in Specialty/Experimental]

Old Irving Brewing - Barrel-Aged Champurrado Coffee Krampus (Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial stout w/ vanilla, cocoa nibs, Saigon cinnamon, Hexe coffee, and chilis) [Bronze in Specialty Strong Porter/Stout]

Taking a break from our usual Barrel-Aged December, we round up five festive beers that'll help make the holidays go down a lot easier. We span styles to appreciate the mostly-local lineup and their different seasonal inspirations while narrowing down our picks for what to bring to that work holiday party or extended family gathering. Also, we're learning language from musicians, we find a beer more rare than King Henry II, Ryan's inventing the next red hot beer gift, and Craig becomes a sometimes-seasonal Beer'd Al.

Beers Reviewed

Goldfinger Brewing - Winter Beer (Rye Lager)

Art History Brewing - Wenceslas (Bohemian-Style Dark Lager)

Hop Butcher for the World - Holiday Train (IPA w/ Rooibos tea, ginger, cinnamon, almonds, pistachios, and orange peel)

Brouwerij St.Bernardus - Christmas Ale (Winter Ale)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Rudolph vs. Unicorn (Imperial Stout w/ peppermint, vanilla, cacao nibs, and lactose)

Two things are absolutely certain when it comes to Revolution's yearly Deep Wood releases: one is that all the beers are going to be slightly varying levels of excellent, and the second is that we will find any excuse to drink them for the podcast. For this round of releases, a few old favorites return alongside the steadiest barleywine currently released, plus a new variant enters the fold as one of the best we've had yet. But also, we explore some surprising examples of the younger generation's borrowed nostalgia; we enter the fantasy factory for future Deep Wood releases; and our spirits ignorance is showing. My hat is like a shark's fin.

Beers Reviewed

Gravedigger Billy (Scotch Ale aged in bourbon barrels)

Apple Brandy Barrel Ryeway (Rye Ale aged in apple brandy barrels)

Straight Jacket (Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels)

Rum V.S.O.J. (Barleywine aged in rum barrels)

Just in time for another Black Friday, we sat down with our good friend Ryan Tracy at his Beer on the Wall shop out in Elmhurst to sample through this year's somewhat uninspiring (but very well made) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout lineup. We ponder what's missing this year while also recognizing where the barrels are doing the heavy lifting, the impressive use of nuts (now that we're fully in the NutZone), and a surprising lean towards more subtlety than expected. Also, Craig is almost literally exuding Red Vines, we finally are pandering to the 10 year olds, Ryan is a surprising defender of a much-maligned Prop, and we take a little time to address the bear in the room. This is premium boxed content - and it all leads to our inevitable trip to Bourbon Country.

2025 Beers Reviewed

Bourbon County Brand Original Stout

Bourbon County Brand Reserve Stout

Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout

Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout

Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout

Bourbon County Brand Proprietor's Stout

This episode is a tribute to the great 1840 Brewing out of Milwaukee and a celebration of the beers and memories they made during their years of operation.

If you can help the Vetter family during this period of unimaginable grief, please consider donating to the GoFundMe that has been established in Stephanie's memory:

https://gofund.me/b54fb2f25

Beers Tasted

Saaziwaka (Table Beer w/ Saaz and Riwaka hops)

TBD (Dry-hopped Saison)

Muumuu (Milk Stout)

Sea Foam [2020] (Sour Ale w/ pineapple, passion fruit, blue spirulina, and lactose)

The latest installment in our journey to discover America's best IPA, we're going coast-to-coast for a pretty special lineup that'll help us further define what makes an IPA both an "all star" and, uh, "very good." We're getting pretty good at this guessing thing, and we might have the first IPA in this series that loses points in the appearance category. Also, we are pushing hard for an all Pure Moods stage at Riot Fest, we are haunted by that ridiculous thumb, and we want to know if a slice from Sbarro will fit in a Jnco jean pocket.

Beers Reviewed Blindly

Russian River Brewing - Blind Pig

Goose Island Beer Co. - IPA

The Alchemist - Focal Banger

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Celebration

At the tail end of summer, we recorded this little gem when we knew we'd need it most to help keep us thinking warm thoughts as the temperature falls faster than the leaves. When our friend Aaron Keefner was in town, he dropped a heavy case of Pittsburgh goodies on us, and we use this episode to sip through an exciting lineup of lagers and hops. Also, Craig has found the perfect exclusive club for a first date (and bulk goods), Ryan wants to see a brewery who is dedicated to kicking ass, and we'll take that time machine straight back to a Wendy's SuperBar.

Beers Reviewed

Coven Brewing - River Knight (Lager)

Coven Brewing - Honed Blade (Pale Ale)

Dancing Gnome - West Coast Lustra (IPA)

Grist House Craft Brewery - Technicolor Treetops (New England IPA)

Lolev Beer - Prismatic (IPA)

The barrel storm that is Revolution's Deep Wood series rages on throughout the Fall and Winter months, so we're catching up on the last release of their Deth's Tar stout and its variants - and this year's batch is better than they've ever been. We try to place these in the context of past years' releases and try not to overanalyze the calculated magic that comes out of Rev's barrels. But also, we are living for Dumpkin Spice season, we try to name a Skele-Boy, and we're sorry for all the talk about…well, you'll figure it out.

Beers Reviewed

Deth's Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Café Deth (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels and steeped with fresh coffee beans)

Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla)

Cocoa Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ cocoa and vanilla)

Unnecessarily crammed with junk, this year's spooky six-pack is an adjunct party that no one ever wanted to be invited to, as we're on to our ninth iteration of the infamous Torture Test. We both try to outdo one another by attacking our flavor weaknesses - or just finding straight-up old catastrophes of beers that were probably never good in the first place. The goal is to avoid the Cuvée of Doom, but we can't avoid descriptors like "rancid piña colada," "wet basement cardboard," dirty old pennies," "liquified grandma's candy," and "diet medicine." But also, you can find out what keeps Ryan awake at night, and Craig realizes he can't coast on last year's domination anymore. (Thanks to Joe for helping wreck our night by providing one of the beers!)

Beers Endured

450 North Brewing Company - Jellied Pumpkin Swirl (Sour DIPA w/ pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pralines, vanilla & vanilla soft serve)

Stone Brewing/Bear Republic/Fat Head's - TBA [2012] (Extra hoppy brown ale w/ molasses and brown sugar)

Energy City Brewing - Mango'Rine Sorbet IPA (Sour NEIPA w/ mango & tangerine puree)

DESTIHL Brewery - Spicy Pickle Sour Beer (Gose with spicy pickle brine)

O'Fallon Brewery - Salted Caramel Pumpkin Beer (Pumpkin beer w/ lactose, Himalayan sea salt, and pumpkin puree)

Rogue Ales - Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerilla [2016] (Fruit beer w/ grape flavors)